Save U Week encourages smart money management

Sally Hoffelmeyer-Katz speaks to a crowd of women about salary negotiation in the Panorama east room on Monday night. Photo by Cole Tan.

Organizations at the U want to help students save money.

The Personal Money Management Center, ASUU and other contributing organizations hosted an event Feb. 24 titled “$tart $mart: How to Negotiate Salary and Interviews (For Women),” as part of the Save U Week that will run until Thursday.

Thirty students and faculty members who came to the event were asked to actively participate in the four-hour workshop by filling out surveys, role-playing and answering and asking questions with the guidance of Sally Hoffelmeyer-Katz, a member of the American Association of University Women who facilitated the workshop.

Hoffelmeyer-Katz said she would summarize this workshop about the gender wage gap into two words: preparation and critical thinking.

“This is not just a dump of answers, it’s giving knowledge and skills and a foundation so you at least know what questions to ask,” she said.

The workshop is composed of four parts and was originally founded by Evelyn Murphy, president of the WAGE Project, but is now presented by members of the AAUW who are fighting for equal pay for women through negotiation.

Getzemani Pantoja, a senior in informational assistance, said she and a few of her sorority sisters came to the workshop so they could “learn a little more about what to do after graduation with finance and when accepting offers.”

Hoffelmeyer-Katz said her main goals Monday were “to empower [women] with knowledge and skills so [they] can be prepared to go into the world of wages.”

Ann House, coordinator of the Personal Money Management Center, spoke about the events going on the rest of Save U Week and said she hopes students will utilize both the advantages and the services the management center provides. Out of each students’ student fees, $3 go toward paying for the center.

“Why not come take advantage, even just grab some brochures and a T-shirt?” she asked.

Managing money does not have to be a nightmare.

“It’s not that hard,” House said. “Just learning a few tips to get better at [managing money] will be helpful. The more control you have, the more enjoyment you will get out of managing it.”

Laura Anderson, a senior in political science and economics and the assistant director of ASUU’s Student Advocacy Board, said the goals of the board matched up with the goals of the Personal Money Management Center, so they decided to coordinate on this weeklong event.

“I would love for students to feel empowered and that they have a sense of control in entering life post-college,” she said.

She said ASUU felt this subject could be “strengthened and turned into a week-long fair instead of just an event like in the past.”

The Personal Money Management Center is hosting events all week long in alignment with the national America Saves Week. Save U Week is on its third year, but it is the first time the event has coordinated with ASUU. House said she hopes “to make this an annual thing.”

The rest of the week’s events include “How to Destroy Your Credit in Three Easy Steps” on Tuesday, “How to Get a $4,500 Grant at the Financial Fair” on Wednesday and “Renters’ Rights” on Thursday.